1. Electrons in Atoms
Chapter 5

2. Section 5.1 – Models of the Atom
Introduction
The scale model shown is a physical model. However, not all models are physical. In fact, several theoretical models of the atom have been developed over the last few hundred years.
You will learn about the currently accepted model of how electrons behave in atoms.

3. 1. The Development of Atomic Models
5.1
Rutherford’s atomic model only explained a few simple properties of atoms, but could not explain the chemical properties of elements.
Such as why metals or compounds change color when heated.
The timeline shows the development of atomic models from 1803 to 1932.
Rutherford’s model fails to explain why objects change color when heated. As the temperature of this horseshoe is increased, it first appears black, then red, then yellow, and then white. The observed behavior could be explained only if the atoms in the iron gave off light in specific amounts of energy. A better atomic model was needed to explain this observation.

4. 2. The Bohr Model
Bohr proposed that an electron is found only in specific circular paths, or orbits, around the nucleus.
Each possible electron orbit in Bohr’s model has a fixed energy.
The fixed energies an electron can have are called energy levels.
A quantum of energy is the amount of energy required to move an electron from one energy level to another energy level.
Like the rungs of a strange ladder, the energy levels in an atom are not equally spaced.
The higher the energy level occupied by an electron, the less energy it takes to move from that energy level to the next higher energy level.

5. The Bohr Model (cont.)
Bohr suggested that an electron moves around the nucleus only in certain allowed circular orbits.
Each orbit was given a number, called the quantum number (n).
Hydrogen’s single electron is in the n = 1 orbit in the ground state.
When energy is added, the electron moves to the n = 2 orbit.
There are 7 atomic orbitals, corresponding to the periods in the periodic table.

6. 3. The Quantum Mechanical Model
The quantum mechanical model determines the allowed energies an electron can have and how likely it is to find the electron in various locations around the nucleus.
Austrian physicist Erwin Schrödinger (1887–1961) used new theoretical calculations and results to devise and solve a mathematical equation describing the behavior of the electron in a hydrogen atom.
The modern description of the electrons in atoms, the quantum mechanical model, comes from the mathematical solutions to the Schrödinger equation.
The electron cloud of an atom can be compared to a spinning airplane propeller.
The probability of finding an electron within a certain volume of space surrounding the nucleus can be represented as a fuzzy cloud.
The cloud is more dense where the probability of finding the electron is high.

7. 4. Atomic Orbitals
5.1
An atomic orbital is often thought of as a region of space in which there is a high probability of finding an electron.
Each energy sublevel corresponds to an orbital of a different shape, which describes where the electron is likely to be found.
Different atomic orbitals are denoted by letters. The s orbitals are spherical, and p orbitals are dumbbell-shaped.
Four of the five d orbitals have the same shape but different orientations in space.

8. Atomic Orbitals (cont.)
5.1
Atomic Orbitals (cont.)
Orbital filling diagram
The numbers and kinds of atomic orbitals depend on the energy sublevel.
The number of electrons allowed in each of the first four energy levels are shown here.

9. END OF SECTION 1